The Wrong Fitzwilliam
by CaylaCardetta
Summary: The intrigue of Colonel Fitzwilliam and fiery personality of Caroline Bingley have culminated into a story to see what would happen if these two relatively mysterious characters were around each other more often as the events of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice play out in the background.
1. Chapter 1

_This story begins upon Elizabeth Bennett's visit to see Charlotte after her recent marriage to Mr. Collins. From there, it's all just a figment of my imagination with Caroline Bingley and Colonel Fitzwilliam_ _as the events of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice play out in the background...enjoy. :)_

 **Chapter 1**

Caroline Bingley strode into Rosings with all the grace of her status in life and all the arrogance that came with it. Head tilted slightly up, she followed the butler down the hallway and into the sitting room, flanked by her sister Mrs. Hurst and brother Mr. Bingley right behind her. Lowering into a smooth curtsey, she greeted the room. With no thought for anyone else, her eyes shot over to where the target of her attentions sat - Mr. Darcy. That handsome man looked no more thrilled to see her than usual, and she was no more bothered by that than normal. She was slowly working her way in past his hard persona, she was sure of it. She didn't need any affection from him really, just enough of a thought and assurance to crown her the next Mrs. Darcy some day in the hopefully near future. She was confident that she could accomplish that.

The hair on the back of her neck raised in ire to see the woman seated next to him - one Elizabeth Bennett of Hertfordshire. She couldn't seem to escape her since their acquaintanceship there, of which her brother's affections for the lady's sister had fortunately come to nothing. Not that she was entirely objectionable to Miss Jane Bennett herself, but the idea of being formally related to the rest of the Bennets was enough to send her into nightmarish fits.

The man's other side was occupied by another fellow of similar age and build to the man of her sights. Recognition tugged at Caroline Bingley's mind as to the man's connections with Mr. Darcy...was it a cousin? Or something of the sort? Regardless, his opposite side was the closest she would get to her target and there she went to settle.

"Mr. Darcy, how very wonderful it is to see you again. It feels so long since we were last acquainted...too long, really," Caroline simpered upon sitting. She turned her head so that her face may catch the light coming into the window at its most beneficial angle and fluttered her eyelashes.

"Miss Bingley," Darcy inclined his head towards her with no hint of enthusiasm and promptly angled his body slightly away from her and towards Miss Bennett and engaged her back in conversation.

Miffed, Caroline could not control the slight pout that come upon her lips. Out of the corner of her eye, the amused countenance of her neighbor in the room came into focus. Shooting him a cool glance before schooling her features, she straightened her spine.

"How do you do, sir?" she addressed passively.

"I am well, thank you. I feel that we have had the pleasure of being acquainted before, Miss Bingley, although it is long since," he responded, a frustrating light of amusement still twinkling in his eyes.

"Your face does bear some familiarity, although I must inquire of you to re-introduce yourself for memory's sake," she primly replied. She had a sneaking suspicion the introduction had taken place the same time as to Mr. Darcy, in which case this poor man had no hope of being remembered.

"Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. The Lady Catherine de Bourgh is my aunt, being the sister to my father, the Earl of -."

 _Ah, the youngest son of the earl, of course she did not remember him._

With this thought shooting through her mind, she was aware that the man still observed her and had the uncomfortable feeling that he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"Tell me, Miss Bingley. We were just discussing the merits of sitting in the middle of a group of three as opposed to on the side. What are your personal opinions on the matter?"

Feeling that this question was directly aimed at his perception of her current frustrations in romantic pursuit, she did not deign to give him a direct answer.

"I am sure that the preference of placement varies from person to person and do not wish to be a judge of such a thing that one either might like or dislike," she responded.

"But of your own opinions, my lady?" he inquired with a quirk of his eyebrows.

"An intimate group of two is far preferable to one of three in terms of arrangement, I will say that. Now please," she curtly responded and bounded up to join her sister at the window across the room.

Unable to help herself, she glanced back over at the frustrating man, who was reclining as far as propriety allowed and leisurely watching her, still amused. Nearby, Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennett had emerged from their annoying fog of absorption to look between the two of them with curiosity of what had caused her to move so quickly away. With a huff, she turned away and immersed herself in small talk about ladies' fashions.

As they readied to leave, she worked her way down the line of members departing, steeling herself as she reached the Colonel. His fingers pressed the underside of her wrist as he lifted her hand and brushed his lips lightly on her knuckles, murmuring his pleasure of their meeting. As his eyes swept up to catch hers, Caroline felt an unfamiliar fluttering sensation work its way through her stomach and across her chest, causing her to softly gasp against her will.

Annoyed at her strange response to this inconsequential man, she withdrew her hand rapidly, nodded coolly with narrow eyes, turned and strode away towards the carriage with his soft chuckles in the background.

Catching a jokingly withering glance from his cousin, Richard Fitzwilliam slid his eyes over to the man and smirked.

"Darcy, I'll not feel sorry for saving you from that lady's attentions. She's far too fun to tease and too good-looking to get bored from," Richard laughed good-naturedly.

"Not only do I owe you some measure of thanks, but I also joyfully await when you tire of her and remained baffled as to how you can enjoy her company to any extent," Darcy said with a rare smile.


	2. Chapter 2

_Hello! I have no clue if anybody is going to read this, but I am truly so excited about all the kind reviews and follows from the first chapter. It was quite unexpected to be honest! I'm sorry it has been so long since updating, I'm sure each of you knows how life seems to just get crazy when you least expect it. Regardless, I am so appreciative of those of you who commented on the story - it was fun to get feedback and also helpful in making me realize what I need to think about a bit more! :) I'm excited to be back._

 _Anyhow, on with the story. Enjoy!_

Caroline drummed her fingers along the windowsill, with every hit of her fingers correlating with a raise of one eyebrow higher and higher. She was deep in thought about just how effective her most recent plan to win the hand of one Fitzwilliam Darcy would pan out to be. Here she sat, under the guise of being an amiable summertime visitor to Anne De Bourgh, and yet she felt no more closer to being with Mr. Darcy than she had a week ago, a month ago, a year ago…

Her maintained acquaintance with Georgiana Darcy, Mr. Darcy's younger sister, had proven useful in her pursuit of the man to this place. She had been introduced to Lady Catherine de Bourgh through Georgiana via a series of letters. The kind girl had informed the Lady of Rosings Park that Caroline would be traveling the countryside and that she had offered to look in on the young Miss De Bourgh in the hopes of being a cheerful acquaintance. It benefited Caroline that Lady Catherine had never met her, as the lady recognized immediately that Caroline Bingley was not quite the warm, giving, pleasant young woman that the optimistic Georgiana had painted her as. However, Caroline did not particularly care. She had one intention and one intention only of being here, and she was not going to let that slip through her fingers.

Caroline's eyes were locked on the horizon, trailing along with a bird of prey soaring above the treeline. Swooping and soaring through the air, patiently waiting for its prey to make itself known. That was her, she thought, her eyebrow rising again as the thought crossed her head. Patience. _Patience._ Although with no sighting of Mr. Darcy all afternoon, it was seeming more futile that today would be a day of any great success.

Upon hearing Lady Catherine headed down the hallway, Caroline rose and settled back in on the settee near Anne and began a banal conversation about needlepoint. Under suspicious and occasionally withering stares from Lady Catherine, Caroline attempted the facade of congeniality until she exhausted her stay at the grand house.

With another day in near silence and definite boredom finished, Caroline chose to reward herself with shopping. The village near Rosings was a quaint place interspersed with small parks, sprawling trees, and a babbling stream winding its way in, around, and under some of the paths. Caroline despised it. The people dressed so simply, the stores sold so little, and her boredom could not be greater.

As she scanned a window display, her eyes tracked as a beetle worked its way out under from a dress skirt and scurried towards her. With a huff of disgust, she glided away with a full shudder taking over her body as she rounded the corner. Her momentum was soon stopped as she ran straight into a solid wall of man.

She scoffed and glared upwards - right into the face of Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam - and could do little to suppress the groan that emanated out of her throat.

"Ah, what a joy it is to see you as well, Miss Bingley. I have been counting the minutes since we last parted," the colonel said with a smirk tipping up one side of his mouth.

"Truthfully, sir, I have not the time, interest, or enthusiasm for this encounter today and must beg of you to leave me be. I have a distinct mission and I will not have it sidetracked - particularly when I have a strange feeling that distraction is your primary objective," she replied coolly. She backed up her ire with a glare focused right into his eyes. His very blue, blue eyes.

"Ah, but Miss Bingley, any day could be a shopping day. I merely wish to continue our most pleasant acquaintance that has been resurrected as of the other evening."

"Oddly, you may find that you are alone in your sentiments about this relationship," she responded. "As if today could not get any worse, I find myself tiring quickly and wishing only to go home, freshen up, and dream of being back in London."

"So this is you at your least fresh?" he cocked his head at her. "You are a picture of perfection, I cannot imagine what you must look like at the first light of day."

Unwillingly, his words evoked thoughts of a morning spent waking up to him in her mind. _How horrifying._ "As stated previously, I have no time for your carefree attitude. Now please, if you'll excuse me, I am off to meet my sister back at our cottage."

Just as she nodded to him and began to walk around him, she felt him reach to grasp her wrist, just like the other day at Rosings. And just like that day, he raised her hand to his lips. Before he could succeed, she tugged her hand away. Unable to stop a slight grin from coloring her face, she curtsied and looked upwards at him.

"Good day, Colonel."

Watching as she walked away, it was all Richard could do to keep himself from laughing aloud. He wasn't nearly done with flirting with this spitfire of a woman, that was for certain.


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry for the (very, very, very long) delay in posting! I'm back again and have lots of draft chapters and ideas in the works for this story - I'm planning on posting much more often. Enjoy! :)_

Richard reclined lazily in a large overstuffed chair in the corner of the study. The room was well-maintained by the staff of Rosings, but had been little used since the house's last permanent male inhabitant had passed away. It had been a well-loved room once, and the chair spoke of a past of many naps and likely many retreats that had been made from a certain lady of the house. It made for a pleasant place to spend the morning hours.

Meanwhile, Darcy was shooting around on the billiards table centered in the room. Richard watched his cousin pensively - something seemed different but he was unable to identify quite what it was. While always deep in thought, it appeared that Darcy's thoughts were warring inside of his brain more than normal. What kind of decision was he struggling to make?

Before Richard could even ask, Darcy straightened, glanced over at him, and began to speak.

"I am planning to ask a lady in our recent acquaintance for her hand in marriage," he stated resolutely, almost as if he was trying to convince himself to fully believe it. Seeing that his cousin did not aim to provide any additional insight into this decision, Richard hid his surprise at the pronouncement and instead determined to lighten the man's mood.

"Well then, I saw your future betrothed walking through the village earlier today. She's got quite a sparkle, that one. Congratulations, dear cousin," Richard said nonchalantly. As expected, that statement grabbed his pensive cousin's attention.

"Pardon? You already suspected?" Darcy uttered.

"Now, of course, I imagine you go into this decision with some hesitation. From the first moments of your acquaintance, I can only imagine that she has struck you the very same as she does now," Richard continued on.

"I would not say that is quite the case…," Darcy's voice trailed off as he tried to find the words to explain. His expression turned introspective once more as he considered the colonel's words on his first meeting with the lady.

"I am sure that you have struggled quite a bit with this, Darce. It is often the circumstances in which you meet someone that define the future path of your relation with them. However, this is not always the case," Richard struggled to hold back a smile as he observed his cousin sincerely listening to his words.

"Indeed…" Darcy spoke softly again, growing even deeper in thought.

"Much like you may grow affection for a hound that simply won't leave you be, I suppose that sentiments must have similarly become established in your heart for this lady," Richard continued on. With that, Darcy's eyes came a bit more into focus and his forehead creased.

"What exactly are you speaking of, Richard?" Darcy mused.

"Just imagine, you won't even be required to announce the engagement because the whole of England will hear it from Miss Bingley's mouth before even one minute passes."

"Miss _Bingley_? Miss _Caroline Bingley_?" Darcy exclaimed. "Are you quite serious? You believe I would propose marriage to her?"

At that, Richard cackled hearilty and it took him a few minutes before he could speak. "Ah Darce, I know your disdain for Miss Bingley as well as I know how to serve in the militia - I merely tease to try and cheer you up, dear fellow," Richard chuckled heartily. "In all seriousness, who else can you possibly be in such a torturous state about deciding to marry? What winsome lady has been vexing your heart the whole of this afternoon?"

Darcy smirked at his cousin's mischief and then leaned back against the billiard table, his hands clasped atop of his shooting stick acting as a head rest. He didn't say a word. The silence grew and his expression became serious once more. Attempting to fill the void, Richard continued his questioning.

"I cannot in my wildest of imaginings presume that you're caving to our dear aunt's belief that someday you will marry Anne. So who does that leave that would measure up to the impossibly high standard that you've set for your yet-to-be-determined future wife?"

Darcy considered Richard for a moment before deflecting the question and raising one of his own.

"Richard...what would it take for you to turn your back on family tradition and societal expectation when you pick a partner? What would allow you to turn a blind eye to all the reasons that a person was not suitable for you? To go against all logic and just accept what you feel instead?"

Richard got up from the leather chair and strolled over to the billiard table, resting a hand on his cousin's shoulder.

"Fitzwilliam, if I had the freedom to choose a bride based on affection over all else, that would be the _only_ thing that would matter to me. I anticipate that two people can work through many a thing that troubles a marriage. I cannot, however, imagine surviving a life ifI woke up everyday wishing that my wife, no matter how sensibly chosen, was someone else."

"I would always wish it was someone else if it wasn't her, Richard. If it wasn't Miss Bennet."

* * *

Later that afternoon, it was an incredibly beautiful day outside - the kind where the sunlight had just the right glow, a soft breeze wafted through the air, and the temperature was neither too hot or too cold.

Caroline wandered down the country lane aimlessly. If she were a more amiable person, or at least less snobbish, she may have considered stopping in on Elizabeth Bennet just down the way in the parson's cottage. As it was, she determined that she simply didn't want to and planned to continue to stroll on by.

Just as she rounded the bend and the house came into view, she heard voices coming from within the cottage. Not those of Mr. and Mrs. Collins who she scarcely imagined could exist with each other in the day-to-day without arguing, but rather the deep rumble of the object of her marriage intentions paired with the soft lilt of her most recently declared nemesis. Hearing words filter through the air such as "feelings" and "love", all of Caroline's breeding and careful schooling could not be overcome. She dropped to the ground behind a hedge as fast as her jaw dropped, hoping to be inconspicuous to the couple. She was dazed - since when had Mr. Darcy determined to settle for a country girl? If nothing, she thought his alliance in drawing Charles, her brother, away from Netherfield to save him from a misguided marriage had at least indicated that he would never attempt the same.

She forced air in through her nose and blew it out softly through pursed lips in an effort to calm herself down. Whilst mulling over such an unexpected turn of events, her eyes moved across the ground and flickered over to a pair of well-worn but lovingly polished large riding boots entering into her vision. She scanned her eyes up until they hit upon the face of someone she could barely stand to see in such a moment - the cousin of the man that may be slipping out of her reach for good.

With his ever-present smirk on his face, the colonel crouched down beside her.

"As a soldier who aims to protect, I must enquire about your health and well-being, milady. Finding cover within a neighbor's bushes seems like mild cause for alarm," Richard whispered to her.

"Please, sir, hush! I will explain later but for now...for once...I beg you to remain silent," she urged, imploring him with her eyes to heed her wishes.

While the words did nothing to diminish his amusement, to the man's credit he did remain silent. Caroline squeezed her eyes shut and focused back in on the words coming from inside. The tone seemed angrier, the volume was more escalated that it had begun. And then, her most disliked female acquaintance's voice had never sounded so sweet as it did phrasing the sentence that reached Caroline's ears,

 _"...I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry."_

Caroline's ears barely perceived anything following those words - any further conversation, the slamming of a door, the gallop away of a horse. She couldn't stop her fists from clenching with emotion. She looked up as she noticed the Colonel rocking back on his heels. She imagined his expression of shock very nearly mirrored that of her own.

"Miss Bingley, there is nothing right about overhearing such a conversation as we have just listened to. I hope you will speak of this to no one," Richard's voice was clipped as he spoke. Caroline's frenzy of emotions was tamped down as she realized she had never seen this man so serious. "You need to give him time and space. I do not know what all your machinations are towards my cousin, but you must give him time following what he has been through this day."

All she could do was nod. For a rare moment in her life, Caroline Bingley was struck speechless. She watched Richard clench his jaw and take a deep breath - it was clear that he was also affected by what had just happened between Mr. Darcy and Miss Bennet.

"I know it must hurt to hear that the object of your affections has placed his elsewhere, but I hope you'll be able to move on, perhaps soon in London with the season coming up," Richard ran his fingers softly over the top of her hand that was helping to brace her on the ground. "Are you feeling unwell, Miss Bingley?"

"I beg you, sir, please do not waste your worries on me! I am perfectly fine. This means there's still hope!" Caroline whispered to him excitedly as she filpped her hand over and grabbed his.

"Did...we just overhear the same conversation?" Richard asked.

"Colonel, don't you see? Certainly Mr. Darcy's feelings may be tied up elsewhere _at the moment_ , but I do know now that one thing is for certain. He is ready to marry and I will be there in London to help him find a way to do so."


	4. Chapter 4

Of all the breakfast tables in all of London, the one shared by the Bingleys and the Hursts had to be among the most solemn and uneventful. Two seats were occupied by the exceptionally dull married couple of Mr. and Mrs. Louisa Hurst (née Bingley) - neither had ever been strong or interesting personalities and nothing had changed since their union. A third seat at the table was occupied by one Charles Bingley. Despite his generally cheerful countenance and overall pleasant disposition, the fellow had been rather downcast lately much to the disappointment of his two sisters. They remained certain that he would overcome the latest of life's difficulties and soon forget that he had almost tied them to a fate of being related to an inconsequential family from the countryside. In the fourth seat sat Caroline Bingley, whose general scheming regarding one Mr. Darcy since leaving Rosings occupied almost all of her mental capacity and rendered her incapable of associating with those less fortunate than she.

In line with the rest of English high society, the group had recently removed themselves back to town to enjoy the remainder of the summer. Caroline applauded herself on her ability to secure invitations to balls, operas, and parties through acquaintances that were sure to provide settings for her to pursue the object of her affections. In fact, a promising opportunity presented itself with a dinner party to be hosted that very evening. With a small sigh of satisfaction, Caroline adjusted her seat and took the final bite of her breakfast.

Her brother Charles glanced over towards her, looking even more put out that she seemed to be in such an uncommonly pleasant mood. Pushing back his chair, he rose from the table and motioned to his sister. "Caroline, won't you please accompany me to the study? I have a matter I wish to discuss with you."

Quirking her eyebrow up at his request, she followed suit, rose from the table, and followed Charles down the hall to the quaint study tucked away in the corner of the house. Morning light streamed through the windows, catching the reddish tones in the Bingley siblings' hair as they settled down across the desk from one another. Clearing his throat, Charles met her inquiring gaze.

"I cannot help but notice that you seem more cheerful than I have seen from you perhaps in my entire life as your brother. Even in comparison to when we were in London a few months ago, your mood is drastically changed. Might I inquire as to why that is, Caroline?"

"Charles, I simply feel like this time in London is finally the season for me. What with the connections that we have, the events to which we have been invited, with the entire situation - I feel as if I am closer than ever to fulfilling our mother's wishes and making a match she would be proud of."

At her words, Charles reclined into the plush office chair and moved his gaze out to look through the window to the back courtyard.

"I recall feeling similarly only a short time ago while we resided at Netherfield. As you have witnessed since, hope is a dangerous thing that can often lead to much despair if matters don't work out as you wish."

"I know that it has been difficult for you since leaving Miss Bennett, and I apologize for that," Caroline said, truly sorry that her brother was still melancholy over the whole matter even if she wasn't necessarily sorry that it hadn't worked out between them. "I am sure it also did not help discovering that she was also in town when we were last here and never catching sight of her - I don't know why she didn't send us notice." She decided to omit that this notice had, in fact, been sent by Miss Jane Bennett and that she was likely the main factor in why the two had not met again. "Still, I am feeling optimistic that both you and I are inching ever close to following our parents' direction and marrying as they wished.

"I certainly appreciate your positive outlook on this, even if I do not quite share it for myself or even for you," Charles said as he leaned forward to emphasize his next words. "I know that our mother cultivated you as she did all of the flowers in her garden - delicately and with much care. Yet, I have always feared that she forgot that you were not her doll or her plaything - that whether she liked it or not, you were always far too headstrong to not allow your emotions to enter into whatever match came about. For better or for worse."

"Charles, please -"

"No, Caroline. After this time at Rosings, I feel as if I must speak up. I have every interest in seeing you smartly matched and with someone who I will feel confident can take care of you. I am glad that you seem in good spirits about it all. I will not, however, allow you to continue to fawn over men, friends of mine or otherwise, who do not seem to return any sort of interest."

"I will not embarrass this family," Caroline retorted in a huff. " I realize that I have perhaps been overzealous in some of my pursuits, but I know you trust that my intentions are in the right place and all I am trying to do is succeed. Give me time - I truly think that the winds are shifting in my favor."

Caroline stood and strode to the window, composing her thoughts for what she wanted to say next.

"Charles, the problem is that you are speaking as someone who has much higher hopes than I of finding a partner that is not only sensible but who also captures your heart. You have the ability to include your emotions as you search out a suitable wife. I have different priorities in a future marriage and thus I must take a different approach. It is necessary, and it is with the same final goal of following the path that our parents encouraged. You know this - and I am asking you to respect that and to not interfere again."

Charles considered her for a moment before responding.

"If you do nothing to concern me, I will do nothing to interfere. I want your happiness. But Caroline - the very second I hear gossip of any serious actions of yours this summer is the second that I intervene. I must out of brotherly duty."

Caroline responded to this statement with a nod and headed to the door. Her brother had never been serious when offering soft rebukes of her machinations with Darcy - he could say what he liked, but she didn't expect anything to change soon.

* * *

That evening, a refreshed, hopeful, and determined Caroline Bingley entered the hall of the dinner party with the rest of her family. Her copper-colored hair was offset by the deep green of her gown. While one could say that her generally desperate and hawkish approach tended to repel gentlemen at social gatherings, no one could deny that she made a pretty picture in whatever room she occupied. In this particular room, floor to ceiling windows and doors in the back of the hall were open to the pleasant evening, and the party extended out to the back patio.

The Bingley group began to make conversation with their hosts. Caroline simultaneously scanned the room to familiarize herself with the attendees. Fortunately, the only real target she cared about stood several inches taller than almost all of the other guests and was quite easy to spot. With a small, slightly devious smile, she began to work her way towards the crowd towards him.

* * *

Richard had assumed an easy stance against one of the columns near the back doorway, with his shoulder leaning slightly against the pillar and a drink held lazily in his other hand. He had been chatting pleasantly with Mr. Darcy until his cousin spotted the arrival of the the Bingleys. That had signaled the perfect opportunity for him to go talk about business with an acquaintance, and he was currently wearing his customary scowl as he worked his way across and out of the room. Darcy had been particularly morose following the events at Rosings, and Richard knew Darcy would be even more in a state if he was aware that his proposal had been overheard but not only himself, but the lady he was studiously attempting to avoid this evening.

Richard, on the other hand, was enjoying watching Caroline work her way through the crowd along the edge of the room. He found himself captivated, as always, by the way her hair glittered in the candlelight accenting the room like its own flame. He moved around the column to where his cousin had been, and watched her glance up to get her bearings. She instantly adopted a look of disappointment at the discovery that her tall target was no longer the man she had hoped. Recognizing this fact, Richard felt an annoying twinge of hurt that was quickly replaced by amusement as he watched a young lord approach her with a ridiculously overdone bow.

* * *

"Lord Franklin Framingham, my lady. It is an extraordinary pleasure - I made an acquaintance with your brother-in-law Hurst earlier this spring and have awaited our meeting since. I am sure he has mentioned me?"

Caroline used her years of training to school her features and reply politely to the thin, pale gentleman who stood before her and had preceded any introduction from her own family.

"It must have escaped his mind, but I am pleased to meet you. But if I may -"

"You are truly a vision," the man stated, his eyes open slightly too wide and focused slightly too intently on her face until he proceeded to bow for a second time. Caroline swallowed, and looked over the man's shoulder to spot Richard, who was now silently laughing into his drink.

"Thank you. Now, as I was saying -" Caroline lost a step in her voice as the man stepped far too close for comfort and grasped her upper arm on the side of her body facing away from the gathering.

"Listen, Miss Bingley - I know you are in want of a title and estate. I heard this fact mere months ago when you were previously in town. I can provide that without question. Let us not miss an opportunity to fulfill both our wishes - mine being a wife much lovelier than I could hope for…"

Caroline felt a swell of discomfort at being approached in such a way by a stranger, and quickly opened her mouth to make her feelings known.

"You will unhand me and stop this at once. You may be correct in the fact that I have an objective like any other young unmarried woman here, but what you fail to realize is that I am not desperate in the slightest," she proclaimed vehemently. She attempted to shake the lord's hand off of her arm but he only tightened his grasp as she met his eyes in a glare.

"I would do as she says, my fellow," a deep voice interjected then, "unless you find yourself looking for additional trouble this evening." Richard approached and placed a light hand on Caroline's back, all humor gone from his expression just moments before. Framingham narrowed his eyes at them both, but backed away, turned, and headed away quickly. Richard prepared to console Caroline about the encounter, but before he was able, she spoke.

"Everyone we are acquainted with and surrounded by is in such poor moods this evening, it is truly exhausting," Caroline huffed, her bottom lip slightly pouting out. "That man is just the last straw...as if his title can make up for his dreadful countenance. Thank you for intimidating him so he would leave."

Instantly at ease due to her attitude, Richard chuckled, his hand lingering on her back.

"You had the whole situation handled, but I certainly do not mind being your assistant. Have you ever considered joining the militia? I think we could use your spirit," he joked.

With a small smile, Caroline rolled her eyes and huffed again, and leaned her head against his shoulder briefly before straightening up quickly, her eyes looking past him. He turned his head himself and to no surprise, saw his cousin Darcy re-entering the room.

"Let us go greet your cousin, shall we?" Caroline said in a satisfied tone, as she moved away without waiting for a response. Richard ran his hand through his hair, suppressed the urge to focus too closely on her walking form ahead of him, and followed the lady across the room. Meanwhile, that same lady refused to consider why she so badly wanted to glance backwards to see if he cared that she was walking away.


End file.
